Today, e don dey easy pass before to get information, even the ones wey fit help us dey safe and get good health. But as we de look for information, we need to dey careful from:

•   News wey fit deceive person

•   Lie-lie story

•    Rumor wey de cause fear (Conspiracy theory)

 For example, when COVID-19 start to spread for different-different country, the secretary-general of the United Nations warn say news wey fit deceive us don de spread. E talk say: ‘Bad advice about health and fake medical treatment don de spread. Lie-lie story don de plenty for radio and television. People de spread rumor wey fit cause fear for internet. E don dey normal now to hate other people.’

 True-true, story wey fit deceive person no be new thing. But Bible don already talk-am say for our time, “wicked people and pretenders go de bad more-more. They go de deceive people and people go de deceive them.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 13) Internet don make-am easy now pass before to de quick receive lie-lie information and spread-am by mistake. Because of this one, our email, social media, and news feed fit full with lie-lie information and half-truth.

 How you fit protect yourself from lie-lie information and rumor wey de cause fear? See some Bible advice wey fit help.

•   No de believe everything you see or hear

   Wetin Bible talk: “When person no get experience, e de believe everything wey people talk. But wise person de think well before e do something.”—Proverbs 14:15.

   If we no dey careful they fit easily deceive us. For example the pictures or short videos wey we de see well-well for internet, especially for social media. People know this pictures well-well as memes and many time them de dey funny. E dey easy to fit change somethings for pictures and short videos or change the meaning of wetin person talk. People fit even make video of real people make e be like say them de do or talk things wey them no ever do or talk.

   “Many story wey fit deceive person wey people wey de do research de see for social media na for pictures or video wey people don change somethings for inside, like memes.”—Axios Media.

   Ask yourself say: ‘This thing na true story or na just meme?’

•   Think about where the story come from and wetin e de talk

   Wetin Bible talk: “De check and dey sure of everything.”—1 Thessalonians 5:21.

   Before you believe or send any story, even the one wey dey popular or wey them don repeat for news, check and dey sure say na true. How you fit do this one?

   Think-am whether you fit trust where or who the story come from. News station and other organization fit change somethings for story because of their business or who them de support for politics. Compare wetin you see for one news station with other ones. Sometimes our friends fit make mistake send us message wey the story fit no be true for email or social media. So, no trust any news report unless you fit really check where e de come from.

   Make sure say wetin dey the message na wetin dey correct and na wetin de happen. Check the date, check for things wey show say the story na true, and look for strong evidence wey support wetin they talk. You go really need to dey careful If they talk about serious matter like say e no mean anything or if they arrange the story to make you feel somehow.

   “To de make sure say the story wey you de receive na true dey important now like the way to de wash your hand dey important.”—Sridhar Dharmapuri, One Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer for U.N.

   Ask yourself say: ‘The news reporter de talk wetin e and other people feel like say na the truth, or e de talk about one side of the story?’

•   Make the truth guide you, no let wetin you like to hear guide you

   Wetin Bible talk: “Anybody wey trust e own heart dey stupid.”—Proverbs 28:26.

   We de like to trust story wey support wetin we want believe. And many times, Internet company de show us news and internet message to give us information base on wetin we like and wetin we don search for internet before. But wetin we like to hear no be wetin we need to hear everytime.

   “People get the power to de reason well, but wetin we really want, wetin we de hope for, wetin fit make us fear, fit move us accept something as true if e de support wetin we want believe”—Peter Ditto, social psychologist.

   Ask yourself say: ‘I de trust this information because na wetin I want believe?’

•   No de spread story wey no be true

   Wetin Bible talk: “Make you no ever tell people story wey no be true.”—Exodus 23:1.

   Remember say the information wey you share with other people fit affect how them de think and the things wey them go do. Even if na mistake you take send wrong information, e fit cause problem.

   “The No. 1 thing na to slow down, wait small and ask yourself say, ʻThis message wey I want share, I really dey sure about-am?’ If everybody de do like that, we go see say lie-lie story go reduce for internet.”— Peter Adams, senior vice president of the News Literacy Project.

   Ask yourself say: ‘I de share this information because I know say na true?’